Clutch arrangement for traveling cranes.



PATENTBD DEC. 31, 1907.

- A. 11. McDOUGALLJ CLUTCH ARRANGEMENT FOR TRAVELING GRANES.

unnmnon rILnD [AYE-3,1907.

N0. 875,367. PATENTED DEC. 31 1907.

A. H. MODOUGALL. CLUTCH ARRANGEMENT FOR TRAVELING GRANES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 23, 1907.

2 SHEETS-BHBIITQ. v

Um TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW H. MCDOUGALL, OF HARVEY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WHITING FOUNDRY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF HARVEY, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CLUTCH ARRANGEMENT FOR TRAVELING CRANESF I To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, ANDREW H. Mo- DOUGALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harvey, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Clutch Arrangements for Traveling Cranes, of whic the following is a specification.

My invention relates to traveling cranes and particularly to a novel arrangement of a clutch andelectro magnet for operating the same in connection with the lifting and releasing mechanism c arried by the crane trolley.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement of the parts of such a device so that it is possible to use an alternating current magnet to operate a clutchto control the lifting mechanismcarried by the trolley withreference to the releasing mechanism.

My invention consists in a novel form of mechanism for this purpose, in very neat and compact form and not liable to get' out of order.

It further consists in details of construction which will be hereafter more fully described and claimed as the specification proceeds.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a crane trolley having the device of my invention a plied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of t e device of Fig. 1 looking at it from the right hand side of said figure.

Numeral 10 indicates the frame of a crane trolley mounted on wheels 11 running on a track (not shown) in the ordinary manner. Journaled in suitable bearings 14, 15, 16 and 17 is a shaft (not visible) carrying on its ends two releasing or dumping drums 18 and 19, said drums being rigidly secured to the shaft. On these drums are grooves 20 in which ropes designed for the purpose of dumping the load are adapted to be secured and travel. Mounted on this shaft which carries the drums 18 and 19 is a gear wheel 22 rigidly secured to drum 19. This gear meshes with a pinion 23 on a shaft 24 mounted in bearings 25 and 26. On the end of this shaft 24 is a gear 28 meshing with a pinion 29 rigidly secured to a shaft 30, journaled in bearings 31 and 32. Ri idly secured to this shaft 30 is a gear 34 mes g with a pinion 35 rigidly secured to an invisible shaft 'ournaled in a bearing 36 the opposite end 0 said shaft be-.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May 23. 1907. Serial No. 375 37s.

Patented Dec. 31,1907.

ing connected to one side of a mechanical clutch 37 one form of which is shown in a patent to William Voss, 681,489, for Automatic Brake, issued Au ust 27, 1901. The opposite side of this bra e is connected to a shaft 38 on which is slidably mounted a jawed clutch member 40. This clutch member is so mounted upon the shaft 38 that it has to rotate with the shaft but'may be moved longitudinally on the shaft. This may be done by means of a spline connection or other suitable means. This clutch member 40 is as best shown in Fig. 2 mount: ed upon a vertical arm 42 of a bell crank pivoted by means of shaft 43; the other arm 44 of the bell crank being secured by a pin 45 and a link 46 to an armature 48 controlled by an alternating current magnet 50. When the current is turned into this magnet 50 through suitable electric connections of the well known type it lifts this armature and with it the attached rods 51 and thereby tilts the bell crank 42'44 from dotted line to full line position Fig. 2 with the result that the clutch member 40 is moved to the right of Fig. 2 or towards the top of Fig. 1 with the result that the jawed member 40 is thrown out of engagement with the member 55 to be hereafter described. When the electric current is cut off from the magnet the weight of the armature and core within the magnet causes the bell crank to move in the oppo-' site direction and throw the clutch member 40 into engagement with the opposite member 55. This clutch member 55 is rigidly secured upon a short shaft journaled in a bearin 56 and on the opposite end of this short s aft is-a gear 57 meshing with a pinion 58 on a shaft 59 mounted in'bearings 60 and 61. On this shaft 59 is a motor 62 adapted to rotate said shaft. Between the bearing 60 and the motor is a suitable electric brake 63, one varietv beingshown in U. S. patent to F. A. Bundle, 766,117, July 26, 1904.

Loosely j'ournaled upon the shaft to which the drums 18 and 19 are secured and between the beari s 15 and 16 is a drum 65 carriiln two sets 0 rope grooves 66 and 67 in w 'cli ropes are adapted to be mounted. The

this shaft 72 is a gear 76 meshing with a 'pnnon 77 on a shaft 78 mounted in abearing I The result of this construction is that the ternating current magnet may be used, thereby saving space on-the crane trolley as current magnet may be used in place of'a large direct current magnet heretofore necess'ary with a cone clutch.

' by Letters Patent, is:

79. This shaft 78 is connected to a mechanical brake 82 like the brake 37 heretofore de scribed. The opposite side of this brake is connected to a short shaft 78 mounted in a bearing 80. On this shaft 7 8 is also a gear 84 meshing with the gear 57 heretofore described. From the foregoing it, will readily be seen that when the motor 62 is operated and the clutch member 40 is in engagement with the member said motor communicates power to all three drums 18, 20 and and that when the clutch member 40 is thrown out of engagementiwith clutch member 55 only the drum 65 will be operated.

operator first starts the machine with the clutch out of enga ement and rotates the drum 65 until the locking is efiected. He then throws in the clutch 40 which causes all of the drums to rotate simultaneously with the result that the load is. held in locked position and lifted at the same time. The lifting of the load is protected by the various brakes 37, 63 and 82 in the manner well known in the art. W'hen the load reaches the position where it is desired to dump the same the opera-tor throws out the clutch 40 from 55 and rotates the motor 62 in reverse direction with the result that brake 37 holds drums 18 and 19 and load thereon stationary while drum 65 is lowering with the result that the Weight of therload releases the locking mechamsm which holds it the manner well known in the art. By the use of this arrangement asmall alwell as uantity of electric current. By the use of t e jawed clutch a small alternating that I claim as new and desire'to secure 1. In mechanism of the'class described 1 in combination with a crane trolley frame, 3

- and a motor thereon; a lifting drum operated l by said motor, another drum also capable of l being operated by said motor, a clutch l "adapted to connectsaid drum to the motor and a bell crank lever mechanism having one arm connected to said clutch, and the other end connected to an alternating current magnet for the purposes setforth.

2. In mechanism of the class described in combination witha crane trolley frame,

and a motor thereon; a lifting drum operated by said motor, another drum also capable of being operated by said motor, a jawed clutch adapted to connect said drum to the motor and a bell crank lever mechanism having one arm connected to said clutch, and the other arm connected to an. alternating current magnet for the purposes setfor-th.

3. In combination with the frame of a traveling crane. a shaft carrying two releasing drums, a lifting drum mounted upon the same shaft between said releasing drums. a gear rigid with the releasing drums meshing with a pinion 71, rigidly connected to a gear 76 meshing with a pinion 77 connected to a mechanical brake 82, a connection between the opposite side of said mechanical brake and a gear S-i: meshing with a gear 57. meshing with a pinion 58. on a shaft" 59 connected.

55 another shaft opposite said last shaft,

carrying a clutch member l0 adapted to mesh with the clutch 55, an alternating current magnet. a bell/crank having one arm connected to the armature ofthe alternating current magnet and the other arm connected to said clutch 40,. a mechanical brake 37 on the shaft 38, a pinion 35 on said shaft on the opposite side of said mechanical brake meshin with a ear 3i ri id with a )inion 29.

c I. C

another gear 28 meshing with pinion 29 rigid with the pinion 23 and a gear 22 meshing with the pinion rigidly connected to the lifting drum. all of the parts being arranged and located substantially as shown and described for the purposes set forth.

' In witness whereof. I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence nesses. I AXDREV H. MCDOL'GALL.

'itnesses: V

' DwIGHT B. CHEEVE HOWARD M. 00X.

of twp wit--. 

